Author(s): C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Published: Apr. 13, 2021
Report Intro/Brief:
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted many youth activities to a virtual format to meet guidelines for social distancing. However, sports require in-person participation. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents of children 6-18 years about youth sports participation between August 2020 and January 2021.
Overall, 23% of parents report their child participated in school, travel, or community sports, with participation slightly higher for older children 12-18 years compared to younger children 6-11 years (25% vs 21%). Among parents whose child did not participate, 34% report their child’s sport was canceled due to COVID-19 and 25% felt it was not safe due to COVID-19.
Among parents whose child participated in one or more sports, most recall receiving information from the school or sports league about masks and social distancing guidelines for players (91%) and parents/spectators (92%). While 84% say they received information about when players should sit out of practice or games due to COVID-19 exposure, only 59% received information on when players should get tested for COVID-19.
Most parents (80%) recall that their child’s sports organization provided information on when a child could return to play after having COVID-19. When asked what they would likely do if their own child had COVID-19 during a sports season, 40% of parents say they would wait the number of days specified by team/league guidelines, while 50% would have their child cleared to play by a doctor; 5% would base the decision on when the child felt well enough to play. More parents of older than younger children would wait the specified number of days (46% vs 33%), and fewer would have their child cleared by a doctor (44% vs 57%).
Most parents rate their child’s school or sports league as excellent or good in terms of giving clear information about COVID-19 precautions (86%), treating children fairly (87%) and listening to parent concerns (83%). With regard to consistent enforcement of COVID-19 precautions, 72% rate the school or league as excellent or good while 28% give a fair or poor rating. Overall, 13% of parents feel their child’s school or sports league has been too strict about COVID-19 precautions, while 14% feel they were too lenient. Three-quarters (73%) say the youth sport’s precautions have been about right.”
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